


Washed Up

by eliasboochard



Category: The Magnus Archives
Genre: Fluff, Inspired by Fanart, M/M, Selkie AU, self indulgent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:02:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliasboochard/pseuds/eliasboochard
Summary: Inspired by @Lua_It on twitter's Selkie Peter art!!! Some selkie Peter shenanigans!
Relationships: Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	Washed Up

Elias never stole Peter's skin. 

That was such a staple of the legends he found, betrayal and theft and lies. He would have been willing to, of course, but the need never presented itself. 

As Elias found himself walking back down the boardwalk towards the ocean, he thought back to when he'd first found Peter, so long ago now. Come to think of it, it had been this very same beach. How poetic. His back straightened a little as he walked, holding himself up a little higher. This wasn't a walk of defeat. He was determined. 

\------------

The first time Elias came to find himself in possession of the selkie's skin, he was walking on the beach, and found a man he assumed to be a sailor, barely breathing on the sand, half covered by this huge seal skin. He couldn't help his curiosity, and approached, pulling the seal skin away and examining it as Peter lay there, recovering from what he assumed had been a fairly serious shipwreck. 

Elias helped Peter to his feet, ignoring his quiet protests and requests to leave him alone, and walked him back to his house. After he helped Peter over to the couch to sleep, Elias brought his skin into his study, hanging it up to dry, and setting up a research station of sorts around it. 

He kept the skin for six whole weeks that first time, keeping it in his study and examining every inch. Peter didn't take it back, though he seemed to know where it was. The more that Elias looked into selkie myths, the less and less Peter's actions made sense. Why would he just allow Elias to keep his skin? He hadn't hidden it, and he wasn't forcing the man to marry him like so many of the tales seemed to include. But the pale, quiet man stayed, and Elias studied more. He took advantage of the opportunity to examine the regenerative cells of the skin, and the way it seemed to keep itself hydrated without being attached to anything. 

Elias was curious about more than just his transformative abilities, of course, and Peter in turn, seemed curious about Elias' studies, particularly his nautical books and diagrams. They spent a lot of time being alone together in silence over those six weeks, comfortable and quiet. Often, Elias would spend days without seeing Peter, until he popped his head into the room he was in, asking about some book or the other. It was a nice sort of harmony, until Peter finally approached Elias on the sixth Saturday, nodding towards the skin he was studying.

"I need to take that back now. My family will be wondering where I am." Peter explained, giving an apologetic smile. 

"I thought you said they valued being alone?" Elias asked, a touch annoyed. 

"They do. And they're going to be wondering why I'm spending so much time with a human." Peter pointed out. "You'll see me again." 

"Will I? All the tales I've found in my research say once a Selkie gets their skin back, they disappear back into the ocean, forever." Elias pointed out, brow furrowing in frustration. 

"I bet they also say you can throw seven tears into the ocean to call me to you." Peter laughed, taking the skin back. "Try that if you miss me so badly." 

\--------------

The second time, Peter gave it to him. 

Elias was used to Peter showing up once a month or so at that point, so it wasn't the fact he'd shown up in his office, dripping seawater again. He'd gotten himself a ship, and more often than not, was traveling above the water, rather than below it. It was safer to keep the skin on land, with Elias, than to try and ferry it around and risk it being stolen from him. 

It was the look on Peter's face, the most determined he'd ever seen the man, that really got him to take things seriously. 

Elias had been surprised as Peter thrust the skin into his arms, and listened patiently as Peter told him to safeguard it with his life, and barring that, measures that would protect it in the event of Elias' death. 

"Excuse me? I haven't seen you in over a month and suddenly, you're at my doorstep, making demands, dripping salt water on my carpet- You know salt water stains-" Elias began, a low growl to his tone as he glared up at him.

"Please Elias. You're the only one I trust." Peter had insisted, pressing his hand on top of Elias' where it held the skin, looking at him seriously. "Do this for me?" 

"Fine, but you better have one hell of a good reason-" Elias began, but was cut off by Peter pressing his lips against his. He tasted salt and warmth as Peter dipped him, stumbling a little as the captain pulled away and backed out the front door, giving Elias a little wave. 

"Wait- Did you just- Did you just kiss me to shut me up?!?" Elias asked, staring after the back of Peter's head as he turned and walked away. "Peter, that doesn't work outside of movies! Peter!!! Who raised you?!" 

\-----------

Usually, he didn't get too worried. Peter was gone for months at a time, sure, but he always answered his calls, even if it took time. A text message at the very least. 

He was gone too long, though, and Elias started to feel a sick twisting worry in his stomach. It was frustrating, not knowing where the sailor was, and not knowing if he was safely isolated, if his family had found out he'd given away his skin intentionally... He didn't want to think of the other option. But with what Elias had learned about selkies, it didn't bode well for the captain. 

He didn't want to dwell on the reason why he didn't want to consider that either. 

Taking matters into his own hands, Elias gathered what he needed, with some help from Martin, and waded out into the ocean, a glass vial clutched in his hand as he stood there, watching the waves. He popped the vial open, dropping the salty water into he ocean, and counting the drops. One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven. 

Nothing. 

"Ugh. You've got to be /kidding/ me." Elias groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They've got to be /my/ tears, is that it?" he asked, tone dry and annoyed. "Fine. Crying on demand isn't that hard. You think I've never employed crocodile tears before, big man?" he laughed, then let out a frustrated huff of air, shaking his head. "Damn it..." 

Elias stood there in the water, feeling the wind whip against his face, tears starting to fall. They hit the water one by one, and he counted as they went. And waited. 

"This isn't funny, Peter." he muttered after a few moments of quiet, pulling the skin tighter around his shoulders, and feeling the cold wind whip against the now damp skin around his eyes. "Where- Oh!" 

He spotted a seal, bobbing through the waves towards him, and stayed still, waiting and watching as it came closer. "Peter. I... How are you a-... Are you alright?" he asked, putting his hand on the seal's head and petting it's soft fur as it nuzzled into his palm and swam around him. "You're safe... I... Don't do that to me again... You scared me, Peter... You can change back now, I have the-" 

"The skin?" Peter asked from behind Elias, standing on the shore and watching him with an amused smile, laughing at the way he jumped at the sound of his voice, nearly falling over in the waves. "I got your call." he nodded, gesturing to the water. "I see you made a friend." 

"Oh shut up." Elias grumbled, his tone shifting into deep annoyance, pushing the seal away and stomping back out of the water, throwing the skin at Peter as he passed him and ignoring his uproarious laughter as he walked away. 

"What? I don't get any head pats? Elias! Elias come back!" Peter laughed as he followed after him, wrapping the cloak around his shoulders again. "Elias!"

**Author's Note:**

> Seal Facts: A mother leaves its pup after the first month to finish growing and fend for itself. Mothers do not teach pups to hunt; they learn on their own. (Seems pretty Lonely™️) 
> 
> Seals dive for three minutes at a time typically, but they can stay under water as long as 30 minutes and dive as deep as 600 feet.
> 
> Unlike humans, harbor seals breathe out before diving. They use oxygen already in their blood and muscles while under water, and their heartbeat slows from about 100 beats per minute to 10.


End file.
